1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of light-refracting optical components with particular reference to the manufacture of prisms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical prisms are conventionally made by grinding and polishing directly from optical glass either in block form or in molded blanks. This involves tedious, time-consuming and difficult operations often requiring exceptional skills. For example, considerable difficulty and tediousness can be experienced in grinding and polishing prisms of very small cross-sectional size and/or of the long and slender type needed in scanning devices, i.e. where a long line or strip of information must be imaged through the prism.
Difficulties in the grinding and polishing of prism faces to precision flatness and angle, which in all cases are none too few, become compounded with requirements for prism size reduction and/or slenderizing. Workpiece handling, holding and breakage problems have heretofore increased with size reduction requirements as have difficulties in maintaining product quality.
It is with the foregoing matters in view that the present invention is directed toward overcoming drawbacks of prior art practices relating to the manufacture of optical prisms in general and more particularly to those of relatively small cross-sectional size and/or of long and slender configuration. Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to improve upon prior art methods of making optical prisms and, more particularly, to provide greater ease, economy and precision in prism manufacture.